Apparatus for sealing paper containers



Oct. 4, 1932. E. c. ANGELL APPARATUS FOR SEALING PAPER CONTAINERS Filed Dec. 11, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l BY 12g ATTORNEY Oct. 4, 1932. E. c. ANGELL APPARATUS FOR SEALING PAPER CONTAINERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec.

INVENTOR E 6.471296 ATTORNEY (let. 4, 1932- E. c. ANGELL 1,381,340

APPARATUS FOR SEALING PAPER com-mums Filed Dec. 11, 1930 4 sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR EfCoQngaZl ATTORNEY Gd, 4:; 1932., E. c. ANGELL. 9 3

APPARATUS FOR SEALING PAPER CONTAINERS Filed Dec. 11, 193 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I" ATTORNEY with liquid Patented Oct. 4, 1932 STATES PATET FEOE 'IEDW'ARD C. ANGELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE BERGER, OF

NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR SEALING PAPER CONTAINERS Application filed December 11, 1930. Serial No. 501,888.

This invention relates to an apparatus for closing and sealing containers, particularly those made of paper or similar material, that are substantially conical, and when filled the open end is pressed together from opposite sides, and a bent strip of metal is applied to seal the meeting edges and form a tight closure for the container.

This operation is sometimes carried out in a combined filling and sealing machine, in which the containers are intermittently advanced and travel below a tank and filling mechanism, and as advanced beyond this device by a conveyer, they are collapsed and sealed, by the mechanism set forth herein; that is in the nature of an improvement on the apparatus set forth in United States patent granted to me, No. 1,743,304.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for collapsing a container of this character, thereupon applying a sealing strip to the colla sed meetin ed es of the container to b 7 and thereupon closing the strip to seal the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for accurately positioning the sealing strip on top of the container collapsed edges, and retaining it in this position until the sealing operation is completed, whereby the strip will be located with its ends registering with the two ends of the collapsed edges, and a proper seal affected.

Another object of the invention is to provide means to assist the sealing operation, by engaging the container to position it properly relative to the sealing members.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide an arrangement of the collapsing jaws and the sealing jaws in connection with their control means, whereby upon the collapsing jaws closing the container, the two sets of jaws will form a kind of guide-way or chute on each side of the collapsed edges of the container, to assist in guiding the angular strip as fed across on top of these edges, and thereupon the collapsing jaws, on which the strip may slightly rest, are lowered to facilitate the closing of the strip on the collapsed edges of the sealing aws.

In the accompanying drawings showing one embodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 is a plan View.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 shows a detail of the strip feeding mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the'line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section enlarged showing the two sets of jaws.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are views similar to Fig. 6

taken at a right angle thereto showing the action of the collapsing and sealing jaws.

As shown in the drawings, the containers 2 of a frusto-conical form are advanced intermittently by a chain 3, from a filling mechanism, not shown, such as set forth in my said patent, whichchain is advanced a unit distance equal to the distance apart of the containers on the chain. The chain may be provided with suitable guides or retaining b means such as lugs or strips 4 and 5, that may be of the character set forth in United States patent of mine No. 1,775,113.

The containers are thus advanced intermittently beneath a carrier, on which are mounted two pairs of jaws, one pair for collapsing the container, and the other pair for sealing the bent strip on the container. This carrier, after a container is positioned below the same, is brought down by. control means actuated from a main shaft in timed relation to the advance of the chain, and thereupon the collapsing jaws are advanced to press together the upright edges of the container, then an angle strip is fed across these meeting edges, and then the sealing jaws, operated independently from the collapsing jaws, are brought together to close the angle strip on these meeting edges. The

jaws are thereupon retracted and the carthe carrier. Coil springs 9 on the posts that are tensioned between these sleeves and the standards 10 and 11 mounted on the base 12, normally raise the carrier until the sleeves engage nuts 13 on top of the posts. The means for depressing the carrier against the force of these springs comprises a lever 14 pivoted at 15 on the standard 11, which lever has a roller 16 engaging a lug 17 on the carrier. This lever 14, see Fig. 1, is at one side of the center, and a duplicate lever 18, on.

the other side, is similarly arranged to rock, which levers are connected by a cross bar 19 with a rear extension 20 carrying a roller 21, engaging a cam 22 on a driving shaft 23. It is to be understood that this driving shaft is operatively connected with the said chain 3 to advance the latter intermittently, and the cam 22 will lower the carrier at a rest period of the chain, hold it depressed during the collapsing and sealing operation, then raise the carrier and hold it elevated for the next advance of the feed chain. The carrier is provided with a pair of sealing jaws in the form of slides 24 and 25, mounted to move to and fro, and each provided with an upright pin 26, 27, see Fig. 6.

These pins are engaged by levers 28, 29 pivoted on the carrier, and having slot-ted ends. One of these ends engages the said pin, and the opposite end of each lever has a loose engagement with a pin 30, carried by a yoke 31 on the end of a lever 32, pivoted on the standard 11 at 33. The lever 32 carries a roller 34 engaged in a slotted cam 35, carried by a shaft 36, the latter being driven by a chain 37 from a sprocket 38 on said shaft 23. The other lever 28 engages a yoke 39 on a lever 40, pivoted on the standard, and having a roller 41 engaging a slotted cam 42 on the shaft 36, such parts being identical with those just described, and operating to swing the jaw slides 2 and 25 in unison. By reason of the levers 32 and 40 being mounted on a portion of the standard 11, while the levers 28 and 29 swing on the carrier, these levers can move up and down and still engage the pins on these two yokes 31 and 39.

The carrier is also provided with a pair of sealing jaws in the form of slides 43 and 44, that will engage the container above the portion engaged by the collapsing jaws 24 and 25, see Fig. 7. The jaw slide 43 connects 3y link 45 with a plate 46 having a sliding connection with a lever 47, pivoted at 48 on the standard 11. The rear end of this lever carries a roller 49 engaging a face cam 50 mounted on said shaft 23, that will move the slide inwardly, and the lever is retracted by a cross spring 51. On the opposite side, a duplicate lever 66 pivoted on the standard 11, has a rear roll 67 engaging a cam 68 on said shaft 23, corresponding to the cam 50. At the front jaw slide 44 engages an. upright slide 69 movable in the front end the lever 66,

strip 53 is fed across on top of the collapsed edges 54 of the container 2 and then the sealb a ing aws 43 and 44 are caused to approach by their cams50, 63, and-will close the sealing strip on the container, as shown in Fig. 9. It will be further seen that the collapsing jaws and the sealing jaws are absolutely independent of each other, and are independently controlled or reciprocated'.

Means are further shown for feeding the strips 53, that may be carried in a hopper 55 on the standard 11, and advanced by a plunger 56, across onto the closed edges 54. This plunger is swung by a lever 57 pivoted at its lower end 53 on the standard 11, and conne-ctedfiby a l nk 59 with slide 60. The latter has a yoke 61 sliding on the shaft 23, which yoke carries a roller 62 riding in a slotted cam 63 on the shaft 23. This arrangement will cause the angle strip to be fed across on top of the collapsed container at proper interval, and then the plunger is retracted.

To insure the accurate position of the bent strip on top of the container, I provide a stop or guide on the opposite side of the container from which the strips are fed, and it has been found to increase the efficiency by making this stop of a magnetic material, so that when the feeding plunger is arrested and retracted, the strip will remain in the proper position on the meeting edges until the collapsing jaws seal the strip on these edges. As shown 1 arrange a horse-shoemagnet 64 with one leg 65 adjacent the advanced end of the strip, see Figs. 1 and 4. j

I also provide means for properly positioning the container relative to these sealing jaws and the edges of the strip to be sealed thereon, in addition to the holding means on the conveyer chain. As shown I mount a guide plate 72 on a plunger 73, whose rear end 7 4 is engaged by a roll 75 on the lever 57. A collar 76 on the plunger is pressed against the standard 11 by a coil spring 77 whose other end engages a guide 78 on the standard, thus holding the guide '7 2 back from the movement of the container.

in the operation of the device, the cam 22 turning, as indicated by the arrow, to swing the lever 20 to depress the carrier, has a por- .tion of its face from the cam point 79 to the point 30, that will permit the coil springs to hold the carrier in the elevated position. From the point 80 around to the point 81 is a raised portion of the cam, that will swing the lever to depress the carrier, and'hold the open, to that shown in tive cams lapsing awe, and the side faces jaws in the posit-ion indicated in Fig. '8 for an interval. Then another raised portion of the cam from the point 81 around to the point- 79 will swing the lever still further, and ive a slightly greater depression of the carr lV-hen'the carrier is first lowered by the raised cam portion 7980, the slides are advanced from the positions indicated in Fig. 7, fully Fig. 8, by the respec and 4-2, that will collapse the container as indicated in Fig. 8. During this advance of the collapsing jaws 24 and 25,the sealing jaws 43 and l: are advanced, by arise from 82 to 83 on the cam 50, and the duplicate cam 68. Then these jaws are arrested with their ends separated a distance apart very slightly greater than the width of the angular soalin strip 53. This will form a kind of trough by the top faces of the col of the sealing jaws, that will serve to guide the sealing strip across on top of the collapsed margins of the container. The plunger 56 that feeds these strips has the end portion triangular and will engage the lowermost strip only from the hop-per 55, see Fig. 5, and force it across in this guide trough, until the end or" the strip engages the horse-shoe magnet, that will retain the strip in this position as the plunger 56 is withdrawn. The latter will have the next succeeding strip rest on it as the other one is advanced, and then as the plunger is retracted the succeeding strip will follow 7 down to engage the bottom wall 8s or" the magazine. [is soon as the strip positioned between the sealing jaws, the carrier visdepressed slightly further by the second rise 8179 of the cam, and thus the strip resting on the collapsing jaws would be lowered, so that its inner angle portion will be brou 'ht to engage the top edges of the collapsed contain-er; also the sealing jaws will move down slightly below the lower edges of the strip, see Fig. 9, which will facilitate the bending operation by the sealing jaws, that now takes place by the second rise 85 of the cams and 68; see Fig. 10.

It will be further seen that the guide plate 72 is advanced at the same time that the strip is being fed, from the lever 57. This is before the carrier has been lowered the second time. As soon as the strip-feeding plunger has been advanced the full distance and also the guide plate, the carrier is brought down the second time and a plate 86 on the carrier will move down back of the guide plate, and hold it in this position, engaging the side of the col lapsed container and properly position it relative to the bent strip now held by the magnet, while the arm 57 is returned to withdraw the st ripieeding plunger. When the carrier again rises, this plate 86 will release the guide plate 72, and the coil spring 7?, that was tensioned when the guide plate was advanced,

will return the guide plate and its plunger 73 to normal position.

What I claim is 1. In a machine for sealing containers, the combination with a table and a conveyor intermittently advanced to successively present the containers at station, of a carrier arranged above the containers at the station and which is movable to be brou htdown for engagement with a container on the conveyor, jaw means on the carrier for collapsing the container, means for feeding an angle strip onto the collapsed container, jaw means on the carrier independent of said collapsing jaw means for thereupon closing said angular strip on the container, all said means being operatively connected with the advancing means for the conveyor, whereby the carrier will be brought down onto a container during the rest period of the conveyor, the collapsing jaws then actuated, the closure st 'ip then applied, the strip sealing aws then actuated independently of said collapsing jaw, and the carrier with said mechanism thereupon retra ted to permit further advance of the conveyer to position another container for cooperation with the said carrier mechanism.

2. in a machine for sealing containers, the combination with a table and a conveyor intermittentl advanced to successively present the containers at a station, of a carrier arranged above the containers at the station and which is movable to be brought down for engagement with a container on the con veyer, aw means on the carrier for collapsing the container, a hopper for angular strips, means for feeding said strips from the hopper onto the collapsed containers, jaw means on the carrier independent of said collapsing jaw means for thereupon closing said angular strip on the container, all said mechanism being operatively connected with the advanc ing means for the convey-er, wherebythe carrier will be brought down onto a container during the rest period of the conveyor, the collapsing jaws then actuated, the closure strip then applied, the strip sealing jaws then actuated independently of said collapsing jaws, and the carrier with said mechanism thereupon retract-ed to permit further ad- Vance of the conveyer to position. another container for cooperation with the said carrier mechanisms.

3. In a machine for sealing containers, the combination with a table and a conveyor intermittently advanced to present the containers successively at a station, means at the station to collapse the top of the container, means for applying an angle strip to the top of the collapsed container, means for closing the strips on the collapsed container top, a guide for engaging the side of the container, means for advancing the guide to position the container properly relative to the strip sealing'means, and a magnetic stop arranged to engage the advancedend of. the strip as fed onto the container to retain the strip 1n proper sealing position.

4. In a machine for sealing containers, the

combination with a table and a conveyer intermittently advanced to present the containers successively at a station, means for applying an angle strip to the top of the container, a hopper for angle strips, means for feeding the strip successively onto the collapsed container, means for closing the strips on the collapsed container top, a guide for engaging the side of the container, means for ad vancing the guide to position the container properly relative to the strip feeding and sealing means, and a magnetic stop arranged to engage the advanced end of the strip as fed onto the container to retain the strip in proper position on retraction of the strip feeding member.

5. In a machine for sealing containers, the combination with a table and a conveyor intermittently advanced to present the containers successively at a station, means at the station to collapse the top of the container,

means for applying an angle strip to the top of the collapsed container, means for closing the strip on the container top, a guide for engaging the side of the container, means for advancing the guide to position the collapsed container properly relative to the strip feeding and sealing means, a spring for retracting the uide member, and an arm arranged to engage the guide member to hold it engaging the collapsed container on retraction of the guide member actuating means until the strip is closed on the container, whereupon the arm will release the guide to permit said spring to retract the guide memu her.

6. In a machine for sealing containers, the combination with a table and a conveyor in termittently advanced to successively present the containers at station, of a carrier arranged above the containers atthe station and which is movable to be brought down for engagement with a container on the conveyor, jaw means on the carrier for collapsing the container, means for feeding an angle strip onto the collapsed container, jaw means on the carrier independent of said collapsing jaw means for thereupon closing said angular strip on the container, guide for engaging the side of the container, means for advancing the guide to position the container properly relative to the strip feeding and sealing means, a spring retracting the stop member, and an arm on the carrier arranged to engage the stop member to hold it engaging the container on retraction of the stop member actuating means until the car-- rier is again raised, whereupon no arm will release the guide to permit said sprlng to retract the guide member.

7. In a machine'for sealing containers, the

combination with a table and a convey'er in termittently advanced to present the containers successively at a station, means at the station to collapse the top of the container, means for feeding an angle strip onto the top of the collapsed container, means for closing a strip on the collapsed container top, a magnetic stop arranged to engage the advanced end of the strip as fed onto the container to retain the strip in proper sealing position, a guide for engaging the side of the container opposite to the side engaged by the magnetic stop, and means for advancing the guide to position the container properly relative to the strip sealing means.

8. In a machine for sealing containers, the combination of a pair of collapsing jaws, means to reciprocate the jaws, a pair of sealjaws positioned above the collapsing jaws, means to reciprocate the sealing j ws, means to feed an angular sealing strip onto the edges of a collapsed the collapsing jaws, control means for said pairs of jaws arranged to first bring the col lapsing jaws together to collapse the top of a container, means for causin approach of the seal aws whereby they are separated a suliici i} distance to admit and guide the sealing strip as advanced across the ed es of the container projecting above the collapsing jaws, means for thereupon lowerin sli htly the said pairs of collapsing jaws, and means for thereupon advancing the sealing jaws to close the strip on the container.

9. In a machine for sealing containers, the combination of a pair of collapsing jaws, means to reciprocate the jaws, a pair of sealing aws positioned above the collapsing jaws, means to reciprocate the sealing jaws, means to feed an angular sealing strip onto the edges of a collapsed container held between the collapsing jaws, control means for said pairs of jaws arranged to first bring the collapsing jaws together to collapse the top of a container, means for causing approach of the sealing jaws whereby they are separated a sufficient distance to admit and guide the sealing strip as advanced across the edges of the container projecting above the collapsing jaws, means for thereupon lower-' ing slightly both said pairs of jaws, and means for thereupon advancing the sealing jaws to close the strip on the container.

10. In a machine for sealing containers, the combination of a pair of collapsing jaws, means to reciprocate the jaws, a pair of sealing jaws positioned above the collapsing jaws, means to reciprocate the sealing jaws, means to feed an angular sealing strip onto the edges of a collapsed container held between thercollapsing jaws, control means for said pairs of jaws arranged to first bring the collapsing jaws together to collapse the top of a container, means for causing approach of the sealing j awswhereby they are separated a sufficient distance to admit-and guide the sealing strip as advanced across the edges of the container projecting above the collapsing jaws with. the lower edges of the strip resting on'the collapsing jaws, means for tl ereupon lower l 1 the said pairs of collapsing s, advancing the seal on the container.

11. In a machine for sealing containers, the combination of a pair of col a ing jaws, means to reciprocate the aws, a pair of sealing jaws positioned above the collapsing jaws, means to reciprocate the sealing jaws, means to feed an angular sealing strip onto the edges of a collapsed container held be tween the collapsing aws, control means for said pairs of jaws arranged to first bring the collapsing jaws together to collapse the top of a container, means for causin approach of the sealing jaws whereby they are separated a suthcient distance to admit and guide the sealing strip as advanced across the edges of the container projecting above the collapsing jaws with the lower edges of the strip resting on the collapsing jaws, means for thereupon lowering slightly both said pairs of jaws, and means for thereupon advancing the sealing jaws to close the strip on the container.

12. In a machine for sealing containers, the combination of a pair of collapsing j aws, means to reciprocate the jaws, a pair of sealing jaws positioned above the collapsing jaws, means to reciprocate the sealing jaws, means to feed an angular strip onto the edges of a collapsed container held between the collapsing jaws, control means tor'said pairs of jaws arranged to first bring the collapsing jaws together to collapse the top or a container, means for causing approach of the sealing jaws whereby they are separated a sutlicientdistance to admit and guide the sealing strip as advanced across the edges of the container projecting above the collapsing jaws with the lower edges of the strip resting on the collapsing aws, means for thereupon lowering slightly the said pairs of collapsing jaws to permit the sealing strip to rest on the top edges of the collapsed container, with the margins of the strip free from the collapsing jaws, and means for thereupon advancing the sealing jaws to close the strip on the container.

13. In a machine for sealing containers, the combination with a table and a conveyer intermittently advanced to successively present the containers at a station, of a carrier arranged above the containers at the station and which is movable to be brought down for engagement with a container on the conveyer, j aw means on the carrier for collapsing the container, means for feeding an angle strip onto the collapsed container, jaw means on the carrier independent of said collapsing jaw. meansvfor thereupon closing said angular'strip on the container, all said means being operatively connected with the ad'- vancing means for the conveyer, whereby the carrier will be brought down onto, a container during; the rest period of the conveyer, the collapsing jaws then actuated, means for causing approach ofthe sealing jaws whereby they are separated a sufficient distance to admit and guide the sealing strip as advanced across the edges of the containerprojecting above the collapsing jaws, means for theree uponlowering slightly the carrier with both said pairs of jaws, and means for thereupon advancing the sealing jaws to close the strip on the container.

14. In a machine for sealing containers, the combination with a table and a conveyer intermittently advanced to successively present the containers at a station, of a carrier arranged above the containers at the station and which is movable to be brought down for engagement with a container on the conveyer, jaw means on the carrier for collapsing the container, means for feeding an angle strip onto the collapsed container, means on the carrier independent of said collapsing jaw means for thereupon closing said angular strip on the container, all said means being operatively connected with the advancing means for the conveyer,, whereby the carrier will be brought down onto a container during the rest period of the conveyer, the collapsing jaws then actuated, means for causing approach of the sealing jaws whereby they are separated a suificient distance to admit and guide the sealing strip as advanced across the edges of the container projecting above the collapsing jaws with the. lower edges of the strip resting on the collapsing jaws, means for thereupon lowering slightly the carrier with both said pairs of jaws, and means for thereupon advancing the sealing jaws to close the strip on the container.

15. In a machine for sealing containers, the combination with a table and a conveyer intermittently advanced to successively present the containers at a station, of a carrier arranged above the containers at the station and which is movable to be brought down for engagement with a container on the conveyer, jaw means on the carrier for collapsing the container, means for feeding an angle strip onto the collapsed container, jaw means on the carrier independent of said collapsing jaw means for thereupon closing said angular strip on the container, all said means being operatively connected with the advancing means for the conveyer, whereby the carrier will be brought down onto a container during the rest period of the conveyer, the collapsing jaws then actuated, means for causing approach of the sealing jaws where.- by they are separated a sutficient distance to during the rest period admit and guide the sealing strip as advanced across the-edges of the container projecting above; the' collapsing jaws with'the lower edges of the strip resting on the collapsing jaws, means for thereupon lowering slightly the carrier with both said pairs of aws to permit the sealing strip to rest on the top edges of the collapsed container, with the margins of the strip free from the collapsing jaws, and means for thereupon advanclng the sealing jaws to close the strip on the container.--

16.In a machine for sealing containers, the combination with a table and a conveyer intermittently advanced to successively present the containers at a station, of a carrier arranged above the container at such station, said carrier and container support at the station being arranged to effect an approach of one such member relative to the other, jaw means on the carrier for collapsing'the container,means for feeding an angle strip onto the collapsed container, jaw means on the carrier independent of said collapsing jaw means for thereupon closing said angular strip on the container, all said means be ing operatively connected with the advancing means for the conveyer, whereby the container and carrier will be brought together during the rest period of the conveyer, the collapsing jaws then actuated, means for causing approach of the sealing jaws whereby they are separated a suiiicient distance to admit and guide the sealing strip as advanced across the edges of the container projecting above the collapsing jaws, means for thereupon causing recession slightly of the car rier relative to the container, and means for thereupon advancing the sealing jaws to close the strip on the container.

17. In a machine for sealing containers, the combination with a table and a conveyer intermittently advanced to successively present the containers at a station, of a carrier arranged above the container at such station, said carrier and container support at the station being arranged to oiiect an approach of one such member relative to the other, aw means on the carrier for collapsing the container, means for feeding an angle strip onto the collapsed container, jaw means on the carrier independent of said collapsing aw means for thereupon closing said angular strip on the container, all said means beng operatively connected with the advancing means for the conveyor, whereby the contamer and carrier will be brought together of the conveyor, the

collapsing jaws then actuated, means for I causing approach of the sealing jaws where by they are separated a sufficient distance to admlt and guide the sealing strip as advanced across the edges of the container proecting above the collapsing jaws with the lower edges of the strip rest-ing on the col lapsing jaws, means for thereuponcausing recession slightly of thecarrier relatlve to the container, and means ,for thereupon advancing the sealing jaws to close the strip on the container. I V

18. In a machine for sealing containers, the combination with a table and a conveyor intermittently advanced to successively present the containers at a station, of a carrier arranged above the container at such station, said carrier and container support at the station being arranged to efi'ect an approach 01": one such member relative to the other, jaw means on the carrier for collapsing the container, means for feeding an angle strip onto the collapsed container, jaw means on the carrier independent of said collapsing jaw means for thereupon closing said angular strip on the container, all said means bein operatively connected with the advancing means for the conveyer, whereby the carrier and container will be brought together dur ing the rest period of the conveyer, the collapsing jaws then actuated, means for causing approach of the sealing jaws whereby they are separated a suflicient distance to admit and guide the sealing strip as advanced across the edges of the container projecting above the collapsing jaws with the lower edges of the strip resting onthe collapsing jaws, means for thereupon causing recession slightly of the carrier relative to the container to permit the sealing strip to rest on the top edges of the collapsed container, with the margins 01": the strip free from the collapsing jaws, and means for thereupon advancing the sealing jaws to close the strip on the container.

Signed at New York city, N. Y., on December 10, 1 930. 7 V

EDWARD C. ANGELL. 

